


Center Ring

by Starsfordreams



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Character Deaths, Dick in the circus, Gen, Haley’s circus, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 06:00:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21156761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsfordreams/pseuds/Starsfordreams
Summary: Dick dreams about his time in the circus, and someone else makes an appearance.





	Center Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this at 1am, not Beta’d. Enjoy!

“And here they are, folks! The world-famous Flying Graysons!”

The applause was thunderous as Robin and his parents stepped into the ring, assaulting the small boy’s ears, not that he cared much at this point. Robin loved the applause as much as the rest of the circus with the bright costumes, cheery music, and the performers who were basically his family. Haley’s was his home and he was happy here. 

The three acrobats raised their hands, bowed, then started to climb the ladders that lead up to the trapeze. The noise quieted down as they neared the top. With the lessening of the noise, Robin took the time to center himself and focus, mentally going over the routine even though it was mostly instinct at this point. They all reached the top at the same time, Robin and his mother on one side, his father on the other. All three waved at the crowd below before finally starting the performance. His mother unhooked the trapeze on their side, held it in front of her, checked to make sure his father was ready, flashed Robin a smile, then swung away.

Robin was mesmerized watching his parents perform the first part of the act. They flipped and flew through the air like it was the one place they belonged. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Then his mother was swinging back his way, and Robin prepared himself to enter. As his mother grew closer, Robin lifted his hands above his head and slowly leaned forward. Robin gave a small hop as his mother reached him, and they were off swinging. 

Robin was tossed between his parents, all doing flips and tricks the whole time. After one of the more complicated tricks, Robin caught his father’s hands and prepared to be tossed back to his mother. They swung back towards the middle and Robin let go of his father’s hands, flying back to the other trapeze. He caught the bar and flipped over so he was hanging by his knees, holding out his arms for his father to catch on his next flip.

That wasn’t quite right. Robin had the feeling someone else was supposed to have caught him, but he couldn’t remember who. Robin looked up at the trapeze to see that he was now wearing his spandex black and blue hero suit instead of his brightly colored leotard. The cheering crowd had gone silent, almost disappeared. A weight gripped his arms, and Nightwing looked down to see Kid Flash clinging to his hands and swinging with him. Wally looked up and smiled.

“You were right, Dick. This is pretty amazing.”

“When will you learn that I’m always right?” Wally laughed and seemed to be building an argument against Nightwing’s last statement, but Nightwing flipped him over to the next trapeze. Wally caught it easily and whooped at the top of his lungs. Nightwing laughed, happy to see his boyfriend enjoying himself. He never would have believed Wally would have enjoyed acrobatics, much less be this good at them. They passed each other once, then moved away again. Wally prepared, then threw himself at Nightwing on the next pass.

Somehow, no one had noticed the trapezes moving farther apart on each pass, making the gap the flyer had to cross bigger. Not a problem for professionals, but for an amateur like Wally, it was too much. Wally came closer, arms outstretched, beaming smile on his face. 

Then he missed. His fingers brushed Nightwing’s as they passed, both clawing for purchase. If there had just been a centimeter more for Nightwing to grab, if Wally had just stretched a bit more.

Wally was falling, flailing. He stared up at Nightwing, fear filling his eyes slowly. Nightwing tried to scream, lips forming Wally’s name, but nothing comes out. Wally starts to go transparent, calling Dick’s name. Then Wally disappears with a flash of lightning, leaving Robin swinging above, staring at his parents laying crookedly on the sawdust floor.

****

Dick’s eyes snap open to see his arms stretched out before him, reaching for people he cannot grab, bottom half completely twisted up in the sheets. Sweat pours down his back and he pants hard. Dick brings his hands back to his face and curls into a ball. A glance at his alarm clock tells him it is 5:08 am. Two hours of sleep. Usually, Wally was there to comfort him after a nightmare and help him fall back asleep, but Wally had died a month ago. Disappeared into the energy field around the REACH pod in the Arctic, according to Barry and Bart. His nightmares had only gotten worse since that day.

Dick rubbed his face and untangled himself from the sheets. No use trying to go back to sleep, not if his dreams were going to be like that. He got up and headed to the kitchen to make himself breakfast in his now too big apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated! Want to talk about superheroes? @rageagainstthedyingofthestars on tumblr!


End file.
